Email

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has given ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons — Hussain and Hassan — 30 days to appear before the Islamabad accountability court, otherwise they will be declared proclaimed offenders (PO) and their properties attached.

Hussain and Hassan have decided ‘in principle’ not to join the proceedings of the corruption references against them.

On Wednesday, NAB officials pasted copies of the notice at the Model Town and Jati Umra residences of the Sharif family. The former prime minister’s sons are required to appear before the trial court within 30 days, starting from Oct 11, otherwise they would be declared proclaimed offenders and their properties would be attached.

“The process of issuing red warrants for Mr Sharif’s sons will begin after the completion of 30 days (on Nov 10), if they do not appear before court,” a NAB prosecutor told Dawn.

After 30-day deadline, Hussain and Hassan will be declared proclaimed offenders

On Oct 9, the accountability court in Islamabad ordered NAB to initiate the process of declaring the former premier’s sons POs, as they have consistently skipped the court’s proceedings in three graft references pertaining to their Park Lane flats and the establishment of offshore companies. Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar will be indicted on Oct 13.

According to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Hassan and Hussain have chosen to invoke their foreign citizenship in order to skip the court proceedings in Pakistan. “They are foreign citizens and Pakistani laws do not apply to them, therefore they are unlikely to join the court proceedings against them here,” PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid told Dawn.

He said because Mr Sharif’s sons had been doing business abroad for over two decades, their financial matters were open for scrutiny in Britain and Saudi Arabia. “All their business affairs are being run according to the laws of the land there,” Senator Rashid said, adding that Mr Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law would, however, continue to attend court proceedings in the NAB references.

Another PML-N leader said the two brothers were British citizens and could hence take shelter behind Britain’s laws because they considered the proceedings in Pakistan to be ‘politically motivated’.

“It will be difficult for NAB to bring them back through red warrants as Pakistan and the UK do not have an extradition treaty,” he said, adding that Mr Sharif’s sons had doubts about getting justice in this case. “Foreseeing the verdict, they have asked their father to stay with them in London. It is anybody’s guess whether Mr Sharif will take his sons’ advice,” he said.

In respond to a question of whether the brothers owned property in Pakistan, the PML-N leader said: “So far, what we know is that they do not have any property under their names in Pakistan.”

Maryam Nawaz arrived in Lahore from Islamabad on Tuesday on a special plane. She stayed at the home of her son-in-law, which is located on The Mall, rather than going to her Jati Umra residence.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Begum Mehnaz Rafi has questioned why Maryam had been given a government-owned plane to use for personal reasons.

“Under what legal capacity was the government-owned plane used to transport her (Maryam) from Islamabad to Lahore. Why are the government’s resources being used for a suspect in graft references? The court must take notice of this,” Ms Rafi demanded.

Comments (10) Closed

You can paste whatever you want, they are gone and are not coming back!

Recommend0

s shahid

Oct 12, 2017 09:10am

re “their financial matters were open for scrutiny in Britain and Saudi Arabia. All their business affairs are being run according to the laws of the land there,”.

Well, we know they would never break any laws in those countries. It is only Pakistan where they loot and plunder but still get a VIP treatment.

Recommend0

AW

Oct 12, 2017 09:13am

Public resources have always been used in violation of the public trust as personal resources by the ruling class so what is new? Why single out Maryam Nawaz? The system needs to be changed and reformed by the parliament but is the parliament representing and protecting the interest of the public? Why file references against Maryam Nawaz and her brothers when they have never held any public office?

Recommend0

PAK-OZ

Oct 12, 2017 09:20am

keep giving them time.

they will be living on Moon in 30 days.

do the job now or never. keeping citizens hanging to find out if law prevails.

Recommend0

Inclusive political institution

Oct 12, 2017 09:30am

@Sher Khan .Legal action are being taken with hesitation, they should been on ECL in the first place. Recently both Prince were here, but the administration gave them VVIP protocol, and now notices been posted on their door. It's impossible that you bring them back, another leader of linguistic party is already in London, despite tall claims by Ch Nasir, he is dancing & singing incendiaries.

Recommend0

TRUTH & REALITY

Oct 12, 2017 10:22am

@Syed Rafiq They are gone because their names are not yet on the ECL.

Recommend0

habibullah naviwala

Oct 12, 2017 11:08am

we're thankful to Judiciary to get justice served however benefiting from protocol, personnel security and to use of govt vehicles or planes are to ceased retro actively. IF they come to court is fine however public wants to hear this drama to be over within the assigned time limit

Recommend0

Zahid Haroon

Oct 12, 2017 11:17am

Why taxpayers money is wasted on a woman facing charges in NAB. If laws of Pakistan do not apply on Nawas sharif's sons their Pakistani Passport must be taken back. Under which law their sons holding Pakistani passport?